Leslie Parrish appeared in
more than 100 TV shows and is known as one of the first women
producers in television.

Leslie Parrish was born
March 18th 1935 in Melrose, Massachusetts and was a promising piano
student at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music but discovered that
she could earn more money as a model than as a concert pianist.

Having briefly worked as a
waitress Parrish left for New York City in 1953 to pursue a career in
modeling. She was signed by the Conover Agency and was soon hired by
NBC TV as a live model for color broadcast tests. (She was used as a
human test pattern to check balance with skin tones).

Parrish relocated to Los
Angeles in 1954 and was soon signed to a contract with 20th Century
Fox. In 1956 she signed with MGM Pictures for a brief period of time.
She acted under her birth name, Marjorie Helen, until 1959.
Afterwards she was known as Leslie Parrish.

After freelancing for a few
years and working in such films as "Tank Battalion" and
"Missile To The Moon" (both released in 1958) her
breakthrough role came as Daisy Mae in the 1959 musical comedy
"Li'l Abner" (above) along with future Catwoman, Julie Newmar.

Another significant role
was as the doomed Jocelyn Jordan in The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
In Portrait of a Mobster (1961) Parrish plays the wife of a detective
who consorts with criminals. She is the daughter of a bootlegger who
rebuffs the advances of Dutch Schultz, played by Vic Morrow.

Parrish appeared in more
than 100 TV shows including U.N.C.L.E., Batman, The Wild Wild West,
Petticoat Junction, Mannix, Adam 12, Hogan's Heroes, Love American
Style, McCloud, The Big Valley and Star Trek, playing Lieutenant
Carolyn Palamas in the episode Who Mourns for Adonais? (pictured
above with William Shatner).

During
the sixties to the mid seventies Parrish became politically active.
She protested against President Lyndon B. Johnson and became a
delegate for presidential democratic candidate George McGovern. In
1973 she also sat on a citizens committee in Los Angeles in support
for Mayor-elect Tom Bradley.

Parrish's last movie role
was in the 1977 film "Crash!". Her last TV appearances
wereon "Logan's Run" in 1977 and "Police Story"
in 1978.

Parrish was married twice.
Her first marriage was to Ric Marlow (1955-1961). Her second marriage
was to author Richard Bach (1977-1999). She was the subject of two of
his books "The Bridge Across Forever" and "One"
which focused on their relationship and Bach's concept regarding 'Soulmates'.